Jaw like contact breaker assembly module fixedly supported in distributor housing and readily removable therefrom

ABSTRACT

A jaw-like contact breaker assembly module is removable from a distributor housing allowing ease in changeability of parts. The jaw-like contact breaker assembly module frictionally fits and engages the cam and associated shaft.

Unlted States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,746,805 Stellwagen July 17, 1973 JAW LIKE CONTACT BREAKER [58] Field of Search 200/19 R, 19 A, 27 R, ASSEMBLY MODULE FIXEDLY 200/27 A, 30 R, 30 A, 31 SUPPORTED IN DISTRIBUTOR HOUSING AND READILY REMOVABLE THEREFROM [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Jean Henri Stellwagen, 75 Paris, UNITED STATES PATENTS France 3,491,217 1 1970 Castleberry 1. 200 19 A v 1,905,096 4/l933 lrgens 1 200/27 A [73] Assgnee a :9: I Equ'pmem 2,953,652 9/1960 Johnson 200 30 A S g gg x i 3 s 3,221,116 ll/l965 McAllister 200/27 A ss e. Moulmeaux France Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott [22] Filed: Jan. 24, 1972 Attorney-Allan R. Plumley, Edward J. Trojnur 211 App]. No.: 219,961

- [57] ABSTRACT F A it P"tDt [30] orelgn pp] ca "on y a a 7114987 A jaw-like contact breaker assembly module is remov- France 7102815 able from a distributor housing allowing ease in Jan. 26, 1971 France changeability of parts The jawmke Contact breaker as I sembly module frictionally fits and engages the cam 200/19 R, 200/19 and associated Shaft 26 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUJuu nan snin aur 5 .PAIENIEU JUL I 1 ms sum .5 or 5 JAW LIKE CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY MODULE FIXEDLY SUPPORTED IN DISTRIBUTOR HOUSING AND READILY REMOVABLE THEREFROM It may be necessary, for instance, in motor vehicles to control various operations through the agency of electrical pulses or signals synchronized with the rotation of various elements; for instance, the primary energization of a motor vehicle ignition coil has to be synchronized with the rotation of the vehicle engine. It is an object of this invention to disclose a support for a make-and-break or contact-breaker device in an electric circuit, the support can be in the form of a tongslike element, the two jaws thereof clamping between them a cam profile and possibly a rotating bearing surface rigidly secured to a shaft adapted to be rotated by the means which are required to produce the synchronizing or timing pulses or signals.

A make-and-break support of thekind according to the invention is also of use for controlling a fuel injection pump supplying the cylinders of the engine with which such a pump is associated. In this particular case it is known forthe required pulse timing to be achieved by having the pulses produced by means of a contact breaker (make-and-break) device actuated by a cam on the shaft of the ignition distributor associated with the engine, the'same rotating the shaft; it is another object of this invention to disclose means for making independent of one another, on the one hand, the ignition distributor elements for producing the high-voltage current for engine ignition purposes and, on the other hand, the elements for producing an electrical pulse, for instance, for a fuel supply pump.

This invention relates to the new industrial product formed by a support for at least one electric contact breaker device comprising a fixed contact and a moving contact, the moving contact being rigidly secured to a heel adapted to cooperate with an actuating cam, characterized in that the support comprises at least two jaws pivoted tongs-fashion, the jaws being resiliently separable from one another for the introduction between them of the cam for actuating the or each heel and, where applicable, of at least one running bearing surface, the cam and the or each surface possibly being quency is proportional to the speed of rotation of the shaft engaged between the two jaws of the support.

This invention therefore relates to the new industrial product formed by the combination of a shaft rotating around its axis with a tongs-like support of the kind hereinbefore defined characterized in that an actuating cam is devised on a portion of the shaft and may or may not be bordered at at least one of its ends by a journal bearing surface, the tongs-like support comprising two devised on a shaft which rotates relatively to the support, the same being maintained stationaryrelatively to. the shaft e.g. by bearing against at least one abutment.

Preferably, the jaws each take the form of two parallel and preferably plastics members with 'a contact breaker device therebetween, each such member being formed in its central region with a recess which in shape resembles half a bearing and which is adapted to cooperate with the cam or with the pivot bearing surfaces rigidly secured to the shaft on which the support is disposed; in cases in which the cam for the or each heel is disposed between two rotating bearing surfaces, the separation between the jaw members is substantially equal to the spacing between the two rotating bearing surfaces; the two jaws are engaged around the last-mentioned surfaces by means of at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is preferably retained by the pivot pin or spindle or the like associated with the jaws.

As already stated, one of the advantageous uses of A the tongs-like support just defined is to transmit to elements of a motor vehicle pulses or signals whose freresiliently separable jaws which engage between them the zone in which the cam is provided and possibly the or each journal bearing surface, at least one jaw bearing a contact breaker device in the form of a fixed contact and of a moving contact rigidly secured to a heel bearing on the cam, the two contacts of the contact breaker device being electrically connected to the control of an auxiliary element, the tongs-like support being prevented from rotating by bearing against at least one stationary abutment.

A combination of this kind is of use e.g. to measure the speed of rotation of a shaft, the frequency of the signals produced by the contact breaker device being proportional to the speed of rotation of the shaft to which the tongs-like support is secured. in such cases the support cooperates e.g. with a cam mounted on a transmission shaft between a vehicle gearbox and wheels of the vehicle, and the signals produced by the contact-breaker device actuate speed measuring means. The same step may also be of use for braking control as an anti-skid device; for such uses a support according to the invention is mounted on the axle whose rotation it is required to supervise, the contact breaker device thus mounted producing signals adapted to cancel braking in the event of the axle becoming stationary. Clearly, the combination according to the invention is a means of producing electricalsignals in excellent conditions irrespective of the movements of the shaft around .which the tongs-like support engages, for since the same is mounted on the shaft .there can be no dispersion of signals due to possible relignition coil.

This invention therefore relates to'the new industrial product embodied by an ignition distributor of use more particularly for motor vehicles, the distributor comprising a casing having a'sleeve at the bottom and a distributor shaft running in the sleeve and a distributor cap having contacts for distribution of the highvoltage current, the distributor shaft having a cam with which the heel of at least one contact breaker device in the primary circuit of the ignition coil associated with the distributor cooperates, characterized in that the distributor casing is formed near the cam with an aperture in its side wall, the aperture being closable by a removable cover, and a tongs-like support of the kind hereinbefore described after introduction through such aperture, engages around the cam, the support being prevented from rotating relatively to the casing, preferably by bearing on at least one abutment.

In a preferred form of such distributor, each jaw of the support comprises two substantially parallel and e.g. plastics members, the separation between which is slightly less than the height of the cam of the distributor shaft, each such member being formed in its central zone with a recess in shape resembling half a bearing, the edges of each such recess being adapted to bear on the cam protuberances; the two jaws are engaged around a cam by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is preferably retained by the jaw pivot spindle, the aperture in the distributor casing side wall extends over an angle of less than 180. The cover closing the aperture in the distributor casing side wall is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a spring in the form of a circular split ring which engages around such casing at the level of the cover. When the distribution shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle. When the distributor shaft is turned in the opposite direction to its normal direction of rotation, e.g. for adjustment, the jaw pivot spindle abuts an abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing the casing aperture, such abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle, such abutment taking up a position between the jaw members when the cover closes the aperture in the casing.

Another advantageous use of the tongs-like support according to the invention is to place it in an ignition distributor as a means for producing electrical pulses or signals for an auxiliary element, eg a fuelinjection pump.

This invention therefore relates to the new industrial product embodied by an ignition distributor which is of use more particularly for ignition in the cylinders of a motor vehicle engine, the distributor comprising means for producing electrical pulses for an auxiliary member such as a fuel injection pump the distributor comprising a casing and, rotating coaxially thereof, a shaft bearing a cam with which the elements serving for ignition cooperate, characterized in that the distributor shaft also has a cam having at at least one end a journal bearing surface, a tongs-like support which is independent of the distributor casing bearing on the journal bearing surface, the two jaws being resiliently separable for the introduction therebetween of the journal bearing surface, the support bearing at least one contact breaker device having a fixed contact and a moving contact, the moving contact being rigidly secured to a heel adapted to cooperate with the distributor shaft cam; and depending on the direction of distributor shaft rotation the jaw pivot spindle can bear either on an abutment rigidly secured to the distributor casing or on an abutment rigidly secured to a cover associated with an aperture in the distributor casing side wall, through which aperture the support can be introduced.

Preferably, a distributor shaft cam is bounded axially by two journal bearing surfaces; the journal bearing surfaces are identical and take the form of sectors of the same cylinder, the sectors being separated by recesses such as can be produced by cutting the cylindrical rubbing surface in planes parallel to the distributor shaft axis; each jaw comprises two parallel and preferably plastics members with a contact breaker device therebetween, the separation between the members being substantially equal to the separation between the two journal bearing surfaces disposed one at each end of the distributor shaft cam; and each jaw member is formed in its central zone with a recess which in shape resembles half a bearing and which is adapted to cooperate with the journal bearing surfaces; the two jaws are engaged around the journal bearing surfaces by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is prefer ably secured to the jaw pivot spindle; the aperture in the casing side wall has a height along the casing axis slightly greater than the thickness of the support measured parallel to the pivot spindle thereof, the angle of opening of such aperture being less than the cover adapted to close the casing aperture is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a circular split ring which engages around the casing in the region of the cover; when the distributor shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle; when the distributor shaft is turned in the opposite direction to normal, for instance, for adjustment, the jaw pivot spindle abuts and abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing the casing aperture near the support, such abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle, such abutment taking up a position between the jaw members when the cover closes such aperture; and the distributor shaft cam is disposed on the distributor shaft between the bottom of the casing and the centrifugal advance control system for the distributor.

In a variant of use with either of the two kinds of ignition distributor hereinbefore defined, the jaw pivot spindle is non-movably mounted in a recess in an intermediate member borne by the distributor casing or by an element rigidly secured thereto, the position of the intermediate member relatively to such casing being adjustable; the intermediate member is advantageously formed with a semi-circular slot through which a fixing screw of the casing extends, unscrewing of the screw providing angular adjustment of the intermediate member relatively to the casing by a rotation; and the recess in which the jaw spindle is non-movably mounted in shape resembles a substantially radial U which is open in the direction opposite to the direction in which the distributor shaft axis extends.

Of course, the advantage of a device of this kind is that a tongs-like support which is completely independent of the elements of the actual ignition distributor can be positioned readily, the contact breaker devices on the support serving as a means of producing electrical pulses or signals which are synchronized with engine rotation, since the distributor shaft is engine driven. An ignition distributor of this kind can therefore of course be adjusted completely independently of the adjustment of the contact breaker devices mounted on the tongs-like support. Also, the contact breaker devices for producing the required pulses or signals can be inspected and serviced without any of the ignition elements of the ignition distributor having to be touched. Using a tongs-like support centered on the ignition-distributor shafts cuts out the effect of any clearance between the distributor shaft and the bearing in which it runs at the bottom of the distributor casing. This step of centering on the shaft is known for the contact breaker of the ignition distributor energizing the primary circuit of the ignition coil but has not previously been used in the prior art for producing electrical pulses or signals for an auxiliary element. This main advantage of the invention results more particularly from the fact that the tongs-like support on which the contact breaker devices are positioned is not rigidly secured to the distributor casing but just bears on one or two abutments rigidly secured thereto to prevent the support from turning relatively to the casing.

For a better understanding of the invention an explanatory and non-limitative description will now be given of three embodiments which can be seen in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the bottom part of an ignition distributor according to the invention comprising means for controlling an electric injection pump, the tongs-like support being in position and the corresponding cover being absent;

FIG. 2 is a section in axial plane on the line II-II of FIG. 3 through the bottom part of the distributor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectionon the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ignition distributor whose contact breaker devices cooperating with the distributor-shaft cam are borne by a tongs-like support according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing how a tongslike support according to the invention can be mounted on a wheel axle to supervise braking foranti-skid purposes, and

FIG. 7 is a view in section perpendicularly to the axis of the shaft bearing the cam of a tongs-like support according to the invention such as isused for the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Referring to FIGS. 1 4, there can be seen a casing 1 of an ignition distributor according to the invention, a distributor shaft 2 which rotates on the axis of easing 1, and a bearing 3 which is disposed at the bottom of the casing 1 and which maintains the shaft 2 therein. By way of a collar 4 rigidly secured to shaft 2 the same bears on a shoulder 5 formed at the bottom of easing 1. Also mounted on shaft 2 is a collar 6 on which the centrifugal advance device of the distributor rests. Disposed on shaft 2 between collars 4 and 6 is a cam 7 which is separated from collars 4 and 6 by rotating bearing surfaces 8, 9 in the form of sectors of a single cylinder separated from one another by plane facets whose planes are parallel to the axis of shaft 2; all of the plane facets of the surfaces 8, 9 are of the same width as one another and are distributed regularly around the axis of shaft 2 Cam 7 has a protuberance.

In the zone bounded by the collars 4 and 6 the casing side wall is formed with an aperture 10 extending over approximately 150 and closable by a cover 11 in shape resembling a cylinder sector, the cover edges being adapted to bear on abutments 12 at the edges of aperture'l0. Cover 11 is retained on casing l by means of a ring 13 which extends around casing l and cover 11 and which is disposed substantially in a plane equidistant from both collars 4 and 6. Ring 13 is a split resilient ring which bears on casing l at a protuberance 14 and on cover 11 at protuberances 15a, 15b and a central protuberance 16; preferably, the ring ends are disposed near the central protuberance 16 of cover 11. Near the center-plane of aperture 10the abutments 12 of the casing l have, towards the inside thereof two radial stops or abutments 17, one of which is rigidly secured to the top abutment l2 and the other to the bottom abutment 12, the two stops l7 beingdisposed'in the same axial plane as one another. On the side near the inside of casing 1, cover 11 has an abutment 18 in the form of a substantially plane protuberance which is perpendicular to the coverwall and casing axis and equidistant from the two semi-circular edges of the cover and which is moulded unitaraly therewith in the zone of the protuberance 16, the same being symmetrical in respect of the axial center-plane of the cover in respect of that zone of protuberance 16 near which the two stops 17 of the casing are disposed.

A tongs-like support having the general reference 19 is disposed in the cylindrical space bounded by the distributor casing 1, cover 11 and the centrifugal advance device of the ignition distributor. Support 19 is embodied by two jaws 19a, 19b disposed symmetrically of the axial center-plane of the aperture 10 and cover 11. The two jaws 19a, 19b are mounted on a pivot or pin or spindle or the like 20 for pivoting thereon; jaw 19a is embodied by a top member 21a and a bottom member 22a, and jaw 19b is embodied by a top member 21b and a bottom member 22b. As can be seen in FIG. 4, each of the two bottom members 22a, 22b bears a contactbreaker device embodied by a moving contact 23 rigidly secured to a heel 24, and a fixed or stationary contact 25. Each contact of each contact breaker device is electrically connected to a wire 26, the four wires 26 serving to transmit to the receiving auxiliary element the electrical pulses or signals produced by the two contact breaker devices 23, 24.

The two jaws 19a, 19b of the support 19 are engaged around the surfaces 8, 9 by means of a spring 27 which bears at both ends on one each of the jaws 19a, 19b and at its center on the pivot pin or spindle 20. In the zone opposite shaft 2, each jaw 19a, 19b is formed with recesses 28 which serve as bearings and which are moulded at the edges of the members 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b. Each part 28 in shape resembles a circle sector; the surfaces 8,9 are each clamped between two recesses 28, one in jaw 19a and the other in jaw 19b. Lubrication between the integers 28, 8 and 9 and between heeis 24 and cam 7 is by means of felt lubricating pads 29 disposed in each of the jaws 19a, 19b.

To position a tongs-like support member in an ignition distributor of the kind just described, aperture 10 is opened by springing off spring 13 so as to remove cover 11. Support 19 is then presented between collars 4 and 6 and pushed into aperture.10, the support 19 being held near spindle 20. As the support 19 is thus pushed in, the jaws 19a, 19b, which are appropriately shaped at their ends, separate from one another so that the shaft 2 can engage between them; after the shaft 2 has been thus engaged, the jaws 19a, 19b close up to be engaged around the shaft 2 by means of spring 27. The surfaces 8, 9 are therefore engaged between the surfaces 28 of the contact breaker device, contact being made in association with'the cylindrical sectors of the bearing surfaces 8, 9. The members of the jaws 19a, 19b are made of plastics and the bearing surfaces formed by the members 8, 9 and 28 operate satisfactorily because of the recesses which separate the cylindrical rubbing sectors and which are disposed on the same level as the plane facets of the bearing surfaces. After the support 19 has been positioned on shaft 2, the heels .24 of the two make-and-break devices of the support 19 are in bearing relationship with the cam 7 and can therefore be operated by the protuberance of cam 7 as shaft 2 rotates. When shaft 2 is driven by the engine in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 3 and 4, spindle 20 abuts the stops 17 which prevent spindle 20 from turning but do not give it a rigid connection to distributor casing l. The invention therefore has the advantage of providing centering on the distributor shaft, thus greatly reducing dispersion of the opening times of the contact breaker devices of the support 19 in the case of ovalization of the bearing 3. When the distributor shaft 2 is turned in the opposite direction for adjustment purposes, support 19 is moved by shaft 2, and after some backlash spindle 20 abuts the abutment 18 on cover 11; support 19 is therefore prevented from being damaged as it would be if it were turned inside the casing 1.

The device hereinbefore described can of course be positioned readily and enables a support 19 for producing electric pulses or signals for the fuel injection pump of the associated engine to be positioned and inspected for servicing without any change in the adjustment of the actual ignition distributor elements.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there can be seen a substantially cylindrical casing 30 of a motor vehicle ignition distributor. Casing 30 has at the bottom a sleeve 31 in which a distributor shaft 32 runs. Casing 30 is formed in its side wall with an aperture 33 extending over an angle of approximately 150. Shaft 32 has in known manner a cam 34 rigidly secured to the disc of a centrifugal advance device (not shown). Cam 34 is rotated by shaft 32 by way of the last mentioned device. The height of aperture 33 is slightly greater than the height of cam 34. Aperture 33 can be closed by a cover 35 which a circlip 36 retains on casing 30.

A tongs-like support having the general reference 37 is introduced through aperture 33 into casing 30. Support 37 is shown in detail in FIG. 7 and comprises two jaws 38a, 38b mounted for pivoting on a spindle 35 and biased resiliently towards one another by a spring 40 which bears on spindle 39. Each jaw bears a contact breaker (make-and-break) device comprising a fixed contact 41a and a moving contact 41b operated by a heel 42. Each jaw 38a, 38b is embodied by two parallel plastics members, the separation between which is slightly less than the height of cam 34. The two members of a single jaw are shaped near the cam 34 to resemble halfa bearing, by way of which the jaws bear on the protuberances of cam 34, the support 37 being closed by means of spring 40.

When the support 37 is placed on cam 34, the jaws 38a, 38b first separate from one another, then meet in the position visible in FIG. 3. Two abutments rigidly secured to the distributor casing cooperate with the ends of spindle 39 to prevent support 37 from being moved excessively by shaft 32 in the normal direction of rotation thereof; cover 35 has an abutment adapted to be engaged by the central zone of spindle 39 if the shaft 32 is rotated in the opposite direction.

A tongs-like support according to the invention can be positioned without any need to remove the ignition distributor cap, a considerable advantage when it is required to check the condition of the ignition contacts 41a, 48b; inspection apertures can be contrived in the members of the jaws 38a, 38b near the contact-breaker contacts. Using a tongs-like support centered on an ignition-distributor shaft reduces the effect of any clearance between the distributor shaft and the inside of the sleeve or bush 31 in which such shaft runs.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of another possible use of a tongs-like support as just described and shown in detail in FIG. 7. in FIG. 6 a tongs-like support 37 is placed on a cam 43 contrived somewhere on axle 44 of a motor vehicle rear wheel 45. The two contactbreaker devices 41a, 41b are connected to a detector 46 detecting the frequency of their makes and breaks. When shaft 44 stops due to an over-severe brake application causing wheel 45 to skid with a reduction in its adhesion factor, the contact breaker devices of the support 37 have zero break frequency and detector 46 acts on the brake system 47 to reduce the braking force so that wheel 45 can start to turn again. The support 37 can of course be prevented from rotating by bearing on abutments rigidly secured to the vehicle body.

Since support 37 is mounted on the axle, the signals transmitted by the contact breaker devices of support 37 are unaffected by any movements of axle 44. It is a particularly simple matter to fit in the first place and replace in the case of damage the support 37, for the fact that the jaws 38a, 38b of the support 37 can open resiliently makes dismantling totally unnecessary.

The embodiments hereinbefore described are of course not limitative and can be amended as desired provided that they do not depart from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical distributor device comprising, in combination, a tongs-like support means consisting of two commonly pivoted, parallel jaws which are resiliently separable from one another and provided with opposing recesses accomodating a cam member mounted on a fixedly supported rotating shaft perpendicular to said support means; each of said jaws having disposed thereon in operative relationship fixed electrical contact means and movable electrical contact means, said movable contact means having attached thereto a heel adapted to engage said cam member and bring said movable contact means into contact with said fixed contact means; abutment means being further provided for maintaining said support means in a stationary relationship to said rotating shaft.

2. The electrical distributor device of claim 1 which further includes bearing means disposed on said cam to engage said parallel jaws.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said cam is disposed between two parallel jaws or bearing means so that the separation between the jaw members is substantially equal to the separation between the bearing surfaces.

4. A support according to claim 2 characterized in that the jaws are engaged around the bearing means through the agency of at least one spring bearing on each jaw, the spring being retained by a pivot spindle means for the jaws.

5. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft bearing the cam is the transmission shaft between a gearbox and wheels of a motor vehicle, and the auxiliary element connected to the contacts of the contact breaker device is a speed-measuring device.

6. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft bearing the cam is a motor vehicle axle,

9 disposed on said rotating shaft being opposite an aperture in said casing, said aperture being covered by a removable cover; the electrical contact means of said device being operatively connected within the primary circuit of an ignition coil of a motor vehicle.

9. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the two jaws are engaged around the cam by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is retained by a spindle on which said jaws pivot.

10. A distributor according to claim 9, characterized in that when the distributor shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle.

11. A distributor according to claim 10, characterized in that when the distributor shaft is turned in the opposite direction to its normal direction ofrotation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts an abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing the casing aperture, said abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle and being then disposed between the jaw members when the cover closes the aperture in the casing.

12. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the aperture in the distributor casing extends over an angle less than 180.

13. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the cover closing the aperture in the distributor casing side wall is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a spring in the form of a circular split ring which engages around the casing at the level of the cover.

ized in that the two jaws are engaged around the bearing surfaces by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is secured to the jaw pivot spindle.

18. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the aperture in the casing side wall has a height along the casing axis slightly greater than the thickness of the support measured parallel to the pivot spindle thereof, the angle of opening of such aperture being less than 180.

19. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the cover adapted to close the casing aperture is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a circular split ring which engages around the casing in the region of the cover.

20. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that when the distributor shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle.

21. The distributor of claim 14 in which said jaw spindle is mounted in. a fixed, adjustable position within said casing.

22. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that when the distributor shaft isturned in the opposite direction to normal, the jaw pivot spindle abuts an abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing 14. The ignition distributor of claim 8 which further the form of sectors of the same cylinder, the sectors being separated by recesses such as can be produced by cutting the cylindrical rubbing surface in planes parallel to the distributor shaft axis.

16. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that each jaw comprises two parallel members with a contact breaker device therebet ween, the separation between the members being substantially equal to the separation between the two bearing surfaces engagingaround the distributor shaft cam, and each jaw member being formed in its central zone with a recess which in shape resembles half a bearing and which is adapted to cooperate with the bearing surfaces.

17. A distributor according to claim 14, characterthe casing aperture near the support, said abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle, said abutment having a position between the jaw members when the cover closes the casing recess.

23. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the distributor shaft cam is disposed on the distributor shaft between the bottom of the casing and the centrifugal advance control system for the distributor.

24. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that said support means engages around the rotating shaft in a zone bounded by a protective collar on either side of the cam.

25. The distributor of claim 21 wherein said spindle is disposed on mounting means which includes a semicircular slot through which a set screw extends to provide angular adjustment relative to the casing.

26. A distributor according to claim 25, characterized in that the recess in which the jaw spindle is nonmovably mounted in shape resembles a substantially radial U which is open in the direction opposite to the direction in which the distributor shaft axis extends.

. I. i l g 

1. An electrical distributor device comprising, in combination, a tongs-like support means consisting of two commonly pivoted, parallel jaws which are resiliently separable from one another and provided with opposing recesses accomodating a cam member mounted on a fixedly supported rotating shaft perpendicular to said support means; each of said jaws having disposed thereon in operative relationship fixed electrical contact means and movable electrical contact means, said movable contact means having attached thereto a heel adapted to engage said cam member and bring said movable contact means into contact with said fixed contact means; abutment means being further provided for maintaining said support means in a stationary relationship to said rotating shaft.
 2. The electrical distributor device of claim 1 which further includes bearing means disposed on said cam to engage said parallel jaws.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said cam is disposed between two parallel jaws or bearing means so that the separation between the jaw members is substantially equal to the separation between the bearing surfaces.
 4. A support according to claim 2 characterized in that the jAws are engaged around the bearing means through the agency of at least one spring bearing on each jaw, the spring being retained by a pivot spindle means for the jaws.
 5. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft bearing the cam is the transmission shaft between a gearbox and wheels of a motor vehicle, and the auxiliary element connected to the contacts of the contact breaker device is a speed-measuring device.
 6. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft bearing the cam is a motor vehicle axle, and the tongs-like support actuates electrical anti-skid means associated with the brake elements for such wheel.
 7. The electrical distributing device of claim 1 wherein said electrical contact means are operatively connected to an auxiliary electrical device.
 8. An ignition distributor for use in motor vehicles to distribute high voltage current which comprises the device of claim 1 operatively disposed within a casing; the rotating shaft of said device passing through a sleeve disposed at the bottom of said casing; the cam member disposed on said rotating shaft being opposite an aperture in said casing, said aperture being covered by a removable cover; the electrical contact means of said device being operatively connected within the primary circuit of an ignition coil of a motor vehicle.
 9. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the two jaws are engaged around the cam by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is retained by a spindle on which said jaws pivot.
 10. A distributor according to claim 9, characterized in that when the distributor shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle.
 11. A distributor according to claim 10, characterized in that when the distributor shaft is turned in the opposite direction to its normal direction of rotation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts an abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing the casing aperture, said abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle and being then disposed between the jaw members when the cover closes the aperture in the casing.
 12. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the aperture in the distributor casing extends over an angle less than 180*.
 13. A distributor according to claim 8, characterized in that the cover closing the aperture in the distributor casing side wall is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a spring in the form of a circular split ring which engages around the casing at the level of the cover.
 14. The ignition distributor of claim 8 which further includes bearing disposed on said cam to engage said parallel jaws.
 15. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the bearing surfaces are identical and take the form of sectors of the same cylinder, the sectors being separated by recesses such as can be produced by cutting the cylindrical rubbing surface in planes parallel to the distributor shaft axis.
 16. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that each jaw comprises two parallel members with a contact breaker device therebetween, the separation between the members being substantially equal to the separation between the two bearing surfaces engaging around the distributor shaft cam, and each jaw member being formed in its central zone with a recess which in shape resembles half a bearing and which is adapted to cooperate with the bearing surfaces.
 17. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the two jaws are engaged around the bearing surfaces by at least one spring which bears on each jaw and which is secured to the jaw pivot spindle.
 18. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the aperture in the casing side wall has a height along the casing axis slightly greater than the thickness of the support measured parallel to the pivot spindle thereof, the angle of opening of such aperture being less than 180*.
 19. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the cover adapted to close the casing aperture is rigidly secured to the casing by means of a circular split ring which engages around the casing in the region of the cover.
 20. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that when the distributor shaft rotates in the direction corresponding to engine operation, the jaw pivot spindle abuts two abutments disposed in the casing near the two ends of such spindle.
 21. The distributor of claim 14 in which said jaw spindle is mounted in a fixed, adjustable position within said casing.
 22. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that when the distributor shaft is turned in the opposite direction to normal, the jaw pivot spindle abuts an abutment rigidly secured to the cover closing the casing aperture near the support, said abutment being disposed near the central zone of the pivot spindle, said abutment having a position between the jaw members when the cover closes the casing recess.
 23. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that the distributor shaft cam is disposed on the distributor shaft between the bottom of the casing and the centrifugal advance control system for the distributor.
 24. A distributor according to claim 14, characterized in that said support means engages around the rotating shaft in a zone bounded by a protective collar on either side of the cam.
 25. The distributor of claim 21 wherein said spindle is disposed on mounting means which includes a semi-circular slot through which a set screw extends to provide angular adjustment relative to the casing.
 26. A distributor according to claim 25, characterized in that the recess in which the jaw spindle is non-movably mounted in shape resembles a substantially radial U which is open in the direction opposite to the direction in which the distributor shaft axis extends. 